Edinburgh, Scotland

It occurs to me that I have never posted any sort of info or news about my trip to Scotland. Shame on me, yes? Rachel and I went to Scotland ummmm.... I'm not quite sure now when but we went there to visit a friend we made from the UW. She had been an exchange student in the physics department and now we were getting to visit her. Needless to say I was quite excited to visit and see a place that I had always wanted to visit. Moreover, they speak English there and it would be nice to be surrounded again by conversation you could understand (if you want to drop some eaves of course). The first experience of Scotland was wet. It was raining and looked simply miserable outside. I loved it. Everything was green, rain was gently falling, the sky was lit but overcast gray...it was beautiful. And then of course there was the sign in 6 languages as you were leaving the airport reminding you to drive on the left side of the road. Ha! Those were the first impressions.

I would have been completely okay if the weather had remained like so for the duration of the trip, even though hiking around Edinburgh would have been wet nastiness.  But the next day let me tell you.  Clear skies, light wind, comfortable outdoor walking temperature and amazingly dry ground!  Let's just say we spent the whole day hiking walking around.  Since it was such a nice day, we decided to hike up Arthur's Seat.  Why it's called that I never really found out but it was quite the hike up a very steep hill and it got windier and windier.  By the time we reached the top, I thought for sure that I would get blown away if I jumped.  From the top, you could see all of Edinburgh and opposite the city, was the sea.  It was the first time seeing the ocean since going to Germany.  It was nice.

There was a ginormous field called the Meadows next to our friend's place and the first thing I thought was frisbee. Oh yes, lots of frisbee could be played here. This picture hardly does it justice since it was about 4 or 5 pictures worth of flat grass.

A store nearby had a wide variety of beers (microbrews!!!) including a ginger beer.  Very crisp and tart.  I couldn't drink it and stuck to my first IPA since coming to Germany.  It was so unlike anything Germany has to offer.  But as you can see, I was more astonished with the Kettle chips!  I couldn't believe.  They are my favorite chip and they were here.  I thought I'd be waiting the whole year to see them again.  Alas no!  Ha.

We visited the Royal Mile which has a very old cathedral that is being renovated.  It was amazing inside.  And though I wish I had more to say about the rest of the mile, I believe we will be visiting again and I'll get to talk more about it since we would like to visit Mary King's Close.

I do apologize for not talking about this sooner and will be better with my next visit which will be in late March and will also include the coastal town of Elgin.

Christmas Day 2009

Had you asked me a year ago what I would be doing Christmas Day of next year, I would have said being in Sacramento with family, eating lefse and reading a book next to a fire.  Only a few months later, I would learn that I'd be going to Germany to study physics for a year and that flights back and forth would not be a likely option.  Then, several months after that and we'd find that my girlfriend has this crazy idea to go to Croatia for the holiday.  That didn't work out, but the backup plan did - Italy.  Spending Christmas on the island of Sardinia was an intriguing experience and I have to say my most unique Christmas so far.  Who knows what the future holds?

Not having a tree, a fireplace in the flat where we stayed for 5 days or a region 1 DVD player, let alone any of my holiday favorites to play, made for a different kind of Christmas.  I woke up like any other day, realized it was Christmas and proceeded to have breakfast.  Outside, it was a blue sky, partly cloudy and 60+ degree day.  Perfect.  Rachel and I had decided that if it was a nice day we would take out the free bikes that were offered as part of our cost of the room.  So we chose our bikes and headed off down the street.  Our plan was to ride along the coast north.  The next town is called Fertilia and is about 6 km away.  But before we got there, we were treated to some beautiful coast line.  We parked the bikes a couple times to walk to the water and see what we could see.  Sandy beaches, eroded rock formations, palm and pine and other sorts of trees, green shrubbery... it was a beautiful ride.  

We crossed over a bridge next to a small harbor and found ourselves in a very small town.  The coast and sea here were just as vast as in Alghero and we took the time to just sit and stare, listening to the waves.  Surprisingly, there were many people taking walks or being out and about.  There was even a cafe open.  We would have continued on, but it had been a while since we had ridden bikes and the 6k back seemed it would be a good stopping place.  Unfortunately, I had chosen a bike that had a temperamental chain, which when given too much pressure enjoyed slipping off.  I must have stopped 10 times on the way back to put it back on the gears.  Oh well.

An afternoon siesta with a early evening walk to our favorite rocky beach spot to catch the sunset.  It was the perfect ending to the day.  The waves crashing and the Sun sinking behind the waves made me hungry.  Our dinner was the most flavorful fresh gnocchi with pesto sauce and mozzarella that I'd ever enjoyed.

Alghero, Italy

So I think I'm going to try a couple posts here back to back so make sure to catch them all avid reader.  Here I'd like to recount a few experiences of the Sardinian coastal town of Alghero.  First off, it was the off season so I'm pretty sure that Rachel and I were the only tourists on the island or at the very least in Alghero itself.  Flying in to probably the smallest airport of which I've ever flown in or out, we find ourselves on a rickety bus that probably can't go faster than 40 mph (note, that's miles, not meters).  It first takes us to Fertilia, which you can read a little bit about here, and then on to Alghero.  Rachel found this amazingly good deal for 5 nights of lodging for a total of €200.  We quickly found the address with the help of a map from a travel desk and discovered how perfectly located it is.  Pick any direction and you're 80% sure to heading towards the beautiful Mediterranean.  The grocery store was just up the street and downtown was only 5 minutes away.  Since we had a kitchen, we went shopping for food at the store.  I just want to say that it's quite amusing when you realize you're shopping in a grocery store in another country.  I don't why.  

Alghero is very beautiful and old.  The sea wall has seen some many centuries of wear and tear and the buildings have few to none modern brothers.  This town screams old and settled in its ways.  It was also very sleepy.  The off season is definitely for me I think.  No tourists everywhere, the beaches (sand and rock varieties) were devoid of all human life, save for the occasional local walking their dog.  Lots of dogs in the area that like to get walked it seems.  The old city sector had narrow streets, a sprinkling of Christmas decorations and a great many shops.  Nearly all of these shops were closed from 1 until 3 in the afternoon.  We concluded it was siesta time so we also would take siestas in the afternoon.  Anyway, these old city streets also had many alley ways that were kind of scary in the dark but exciting to explore in the daytime.  

The harbor was filled with boats of all kinds and I pined over several of the sail boats I saw.  One day...one day.  Next to the harbor, Rachel and I found a commune of wild cats.  No joke.  It was a little surprising.  I saw one cat (thinking of course this is no strange thing) and went up to it to try to pet it.  It scurried slowly around a corner and when I came around, there were about 10 cats visible amongst the rocks.  I briefly feared that I'd been led into a trap, but they were content to sit and stare at the human.  We realized these 'feral' cats must be getting fed and taken care of since they came right over to us after a few seconds, no doubt seeking food.  Walking along the harbor wall and looking down into the breaker rocks, I could see several more cats between the stones.  Who knows how many were there?

Staying in Alghero off-season for 5 days for Christmas was simply quite relaxing and the perfect amount of time.  We would wander the city for 2 hours or so, come home, eat, nap, go out and wander again, come home, eat, sleep, repeat.  We saw a lot of the city this way.  We now even have favorite spots, plus a place I'd recommend if you were thinking of traveling here.  Did I mention that the owners of this place are vintners and included a bottle of their wine for us!?  All in all, I could see myself going back.  

E-Ticket Dad

Recently, I went on vacation. I needed one. That's why I went. So, there you go.

Let me start out by saying, if you don't know what an E Ticket was, go here. Briefly, an E Ticket was the bestest ride at Disneyland/World. It was the cream of the crop, the most exciting. It was Space Mountain, the Matterhorn, etc. I tell you that so you understand the title. My dad took us on an E Ticket ride through Brooklyn in New York. My only advice in case you ever find yourself driving there is two-fold: look at every traffic sign you can and look out for the pedestrians as they have no respect for the right of way.

Our vacation was a New England cruise and our departure port was Pier 12 in New York, New York. Being there a day early, we decided to attend church on Sunday at the Brooklyn Tabernacle. Perfect. We have directions to the church, what could go wrong? I was the navigator and it was my role to pay attention for things that perhaps the driver would not and inform him at the last possible moment about them (last possible so I didn't look like a backseat driver). Now, I'm looking for a church and so I imagine a church-like looking structure. I'm looking and don't notice that the street we're on suddenly decides to cease being a two-way and turn into a one-way... towards us. It was a required left or right turn and both my Padre and I missed it. I can't tell you how much you want to get to church when you're going down a one way street the wrong way with cars heading for you. Well, we turn off that road pretty quick, nearly running some people over. I say, "we must have passed it because the street numbers are going the wrong way." We begin to loop around the block looking for parking as well as the actual building. Swerving around Brooklyn on a Sunday morning in a rental car with Tennessee plates is really quite exhilarating.

The next big shock was when we thought we could make a left turn only to realize it was a bus only street (why do we have those so lamely labeled), which was occupied by a bus! I didn't know if it was a two lane road, or we were going down another one way the wrong way, but I saw another one way street that was a left turn so I shouted "over there!" We zoom around the bus and, you guessed it, almost hit another person and got off the bus only road. I felt I was starting to get the hang of the one way streets and remembered that there was a bus only road at such and such a turn. Now we're making progress.

On our fourth or fifth jaunt down the street that the Brooklyn Tab is supposedly on, I finally spot the (in my opinion) small block letters on a building that looks like any other building in the area. I shout "there it is!" and we now start the quest to find parking, while I look on to the location in my mind and become aware of any turn we make so we can find our way back on foot to the entrance. A couple of more turns later and we find the parking lot that goes with the church and we park. I was never so happy to go to church in my life. You really had to be there on that drive to understand. Words don't properly describe the sheer chaos. Did I happen to mention that there was a local police precinct across the street that was no doubt watching us violate dozens of traffic laws. "Crazy tourists. When they finally hit something we'll have to go out there and help 'em out." I'm sure that's not what they were really saying. Anyhoo.

How was church? Fantastic. The choir? Everything I thought it could be and more. I love choirs. I wish I could sing in one. The power, energy, harmony... I had pins and needles. The message? Right for me. Anyway, that was the first day of my vacation. I think you can imagine how the rest of it went. I hope to have time to tell a few more stories.

The Garden Isle

After returning from his exploits just over 25° worth of latitude south (relative to the Earth's magnetic north pole) of the place he calls home, the intrepid explorer felt the need to bring people who knew and cared about him up to speed on his journey in the quickest possible way, so as not to bore them. Deciding then to focus on just one of the many places he visited, the journeyed man chose Kaua'i, or Kauai as the principal and only location with which to tell a story. Writing from the third person and vaguely referencing the first jokingly was only an afterthought...to him.

Begin entry:

It began like any other day, but somehow, he knew this day would be different. For one, it wasn't as humid as the other islands. This one must be special, and indeed it was, for this was the Garden Isle, the oldest of the eight. Home to wild chickens, wild pigs, and wild cats (kitty cats, not wildcats). Scenes from Six Days Seven Nights and Jurassic Park, among others, were filmed here for the mountainous jungle country rampant throughout the land. A paradise in the traveler's opinion.

Disembarking his extravagant ship, the brave explorer, along with his select kindred, traversed the outer markets and too'rist traps to find the adventure awaiting them; a trip down a two mile, water filled, hand dug trench, 70% of which is in dark, twisting tunnels. Originally dug to bring water down the mountain to irrigate sugarcane fields, the trench is now used as an attraction for visitors to get a little history, stay cool, and enjoy the scenery as only a moving body of water can give.

The inner tube used as the transport device down the channel, was large and encumbering. Armed with only a helmet-light and gloves, the tube would bounce off the rock walls as you lazily drifted down this man-made river. Into dark foreboding tunnels and briefly back into lush jungle shrubberies before diving into another tunnel; this was the path the river took. His party consisted of two guides that were both amusing and informative with an added bonus that they were also quite personable. Yes, indeed, it was a journey that the traveler will not soon forget.

The completion of the traversement involved a lunch that had been prepared for the travelers and a swimming hole, complete with small waterfall. The intrepid man was pleased. Small wild cats even appeared, as if Ace Ventura: Pet Detective had sat with the group of explorers. The adorableness of the situation was not lost on our protagonist. Returning to his craft, our brave explorer reflected, and decided that this island was indeed...perfect.